August 11, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 15
Northeast noise relief on horizon?
Lawmakers push feds to make new helicopter fl ight pattern permanent
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Two lawmakers are calling
on the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to make
an alternative helicopter route
permanent following its success
in northeast Queens.
Since the agency implemented
the six-month pilot program
for the alternative North Shore
Helicopter Route in October
2018, residents have reported
significant decreases in helicopter
noise during the busy summer
months. Now, Councilman
Paul Vallone and Congressman
Tom Suozzi want the FAA
to make the successful pilot
program permanent.
Beginning in October 2018,
the FAA tested the alternative
route which shifted air traffic
away from northeast Queens,
cutting helicopter and seaplane
traffic by up to 50 percent. In
April 2019, Vallone and Suozzi
requested a 180-day program
extension, which benefits
residents in Bayside, Bay Terrace,
Malba and Whitestone until
Oct. 2, 2019.
“From Memorial Day to Labor
Day and into the fall, northeast
Queens residents will be free
to enjoy their backyards, parks
and waterfronts without the
constant assault of helicopter
noise that unfortunately in past
years became the norm,” said
Vallone. “As this pilot program
continues to provide needed
relief to the families who call
northeast Queens home, I join
Congressman Suozzi in urging
the FAA to establish this as a
permanent change.”
The FAA established the
original North Shore Helicopter
Route in 2008 so that pilots had a
voluntary path to travel over the
Long Island Sound. In 2012, the
agency mandated pilots to use the
route when flying to and from the
East End. In 2020, the FAA ruled
A GRAND ‘NIGHT OUT’ IN FLUSHING
Members of the 109th Precinct in Flushing were all smiles during the precinct’s annual National Night Out
Against Crime event on Aug. 6 at Moore Playground. Photo by Dominick Totino Photography
Costa: Put a
net under N
in Astoria
BY MAX PARROTT
After a hefty metal
flashlight recently fell from
a construction project on the
elevated subway tracks in
Astoria and nearly struck
a pedestrian, Councilman
Costa Constantinides urged
the Metropolitan Transit
Authority to install protective
netting under the entirety of
the elevated N/W tracks in
western Queens.
“It landed at her feet. If
she had been half a second
quicker, something bad
would have happened,” said
Constantinides.
Constantinides said that
the flashlight incident called
attention to the daily risk
western Queens residents face
under the subway. He said that
he regularly hears complaints
and sees tweets from Astoria
residents about debris falling
along the 31st Street tracks
from construction or track
maintenance, but hasn’t been
able to substantiate any of
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